Business upgrades in Ontario
BBN Labs serves Ontario businesses from its Windsor–Essex base: storefront and signage projects, websites and retail technology, customer-experience systems and partner-coordinated energy work. Ontario currently runs several relevant programs: the OCI retail and digital-adoption grants, Save on Energy direct-install and retrofit incentives, Enbridge equipment programs and the Ontario Job Grant. Each has its own rules, which we screen before you commit to anything.
The local picture
Ontario's small-business funding currently clusters around five themes: retail and digital modernization (the OCI pathway), energy efficiency (IESO's Save on Energy programs and Enbridge's gas-side incentives), employer training (Ontario Job Grant), municipal community-improvement plans, and federal programs available to Ontario businesses.
Municipal CIPs matter more than most owners realize: cities and towns designate improvement areas where façade, signage and accessibility grants apply, but each municipality writes its own rules, exclusions and intake windows. Windsor and Lakeshore both run active CIPs with very different terms.
BBN Labs delivers digital and design work across the province directly; physical installation and trades are coordinated with qualified partners, disclosed before any quotation.
Verified local notes
- The OCI Digital Competence Centre is currently accepting applications across its retail grant (up to $5,000), DMAP planning (up to $15,000) and TDP implementation (up to $50,000) streams, first-come while funds last. source ↗
- Save on Energy's Small Business Program currently installs up to $3,000 of lighting plus up to $2,500 of non-lighting measures at no cost for Ontario businesses with 50 or fewer employees. source ↗
- The Save on Energy Retrofit Program covers up to 50% of eligible project costs with strict pre-project approval; incentive rates change on a schedule, so re-check current rates before you commit. source ↗
Notes reflect official sources as checked on July 5, 2026; programs change, so confirm with the administrator.
Programs
Funding records relevant to Ontario
Every record shows its official source, what kind of help it is, and when we last checked it.
Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan
Up to $15,000
Ontario B2B product companies can get 50% back, up to $15,000, on a Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan built with an approved consultant: an…
Last verified July 3, 2026
Retrofit Program
Up to 50% of costs
The Retrofit Program helps Ontario businesses lower operating costs by covering up to 50% of eligible energy-efficiency upgrades like lighting, HVAC,…
Last verified July 2, 2026
Retail Modernization Project Grant (RMPG)
Up to $5,000
Ontario shops can get 50% back, up to $5,000, on modern store technology: POS systems, inventory tracking, self-checkout kiosks, CRM and more. You…
Last verified July 3, 2026
Technology Demonstration Program (TDP)
Up to $50,000
Finished your DMAP? This Ontario program reimburses 50% of implementing it, up to $50,000: the platforms, software, integration work and one-time…
Last verified July 3, 2026
Canada Small Business Financing Program
Up to $1,000,000
This program makes it easier to get a business loan by having the government share the lending risk with your bank or credit union. You apply…
Last verified July 2, 2026
Access to Capital
From $150,000
Access to Capital provides substantial, repayable funding through Community Futures Ontario. It helps small businesses and social enterprises secure…
Last verified July 2, 2026
Community Futures Network of Canada
Tap into a network of 267 non-profit offices across Canada that provide small business loans, training, and local support to help rural and remote…
Last verified July 2, 2026
BDC Financing — Certified Green Building Loan
Up to 100% of costs
Secure the capital you need to buy, build, or renovate a property with the goal of earning top-tier environmental certifications like LEED or Zero…
Last verified July 2, 2026
BDC Financing — Small Business Loan
Up to $350,000
Access flexible online financing from Canada's federal Crown corporation bank. Use these funds to scale operations, hire staff, or upgrade equipment…
Last verified July 2, 2026
Solutions
What we deliver in Ontario
Storefront Signs & Sign Boards
Sign concepts, mockups and measurements done right. Fabrication and installation quoted and managed for you.
Retail Modernization
Retail technology that works as one system: POS, inventory, CRM, loyalty, ordering and dashboards that talk to each other.
Business Websites
Fast, search-ready websites your customers can actually use. Built, hosted and maintained by one accountable team.
Digital Menu Boards & Signage Systems
Managed menu screens with cloud updates, breakfast-to-dinner scheduling and a design service. A bare TV on the wall does none of that.
Energy-Efficiency Solutions
Lighting, HVAC, refrigeration and controls: incentive screening and qualified-partner coordination, sequenced so you don't lose a program.
Restaurant Growth Systems
The whole restaurant setup under one care plan: menus, ordering, reviews, signage, media and efficiency screening.
Where a project includes physical work, it is completed by licensed contractors BBN coordinates.
Frequently asked questions
Does BBN Labs work outside Windsor–Essex?
Yes. Digital work (websites, e-commerce, CRM, menus, automation, media editing) is delivered province-wide. Physical work (signage installation, energy retrofits) depends on partner coverage in your area, which we confirm before quoting rather than promising blindly.
Which Ontario program should my business look at first?
It depends on what you're improving: storefront retailers adopting technology often start with the OCI retail grant; energy-heavy operations with Save on Energy; teams upskilling with the Ontario Job Grant; storefront façades with their municipal CIP. The Funding Fit Check walks through it in a few minutes and shows what may apply. Administrators make the final call.
Also see: all verified funding in Ontario, the full funding list and our guides.
Planning a project in Ontario?
Tell us about your business and project. You get a practical plan, a clear quote, and an honest read on which programs may help pay. It's all free, with nothing to lose.
Free No obligation Reply within 1 business day
Subject to program rules, available funding, and approval. Final decisions are made solely by each program administrator.